Maryland's Greivis Vasquez (21) works the ball around California's Patrick Christopher (23) in the first half during a first-round men's NCAA college basketball tournament game in Kansas City, Mo., Thursday.
/ AP photo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Maryland never let California get going from long range. Now the Terps are back in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Grievis Vasquez had 27 points and Maryland shut down the nation's best 3-point shooting team in an 84-71 victory over Cal in the first round of the West Regional on Thursday.
Tenth-seeded Maryland (21-13) disrupted Cal with its pressure defense, rarely giving the Bears a good look from the perimeter. Vasquez controlled the offense and Dave Neal chipped in 15 points, helping the Terps advance past the first round in their ninth straight NCAA appearance.
Maryland will face No. 2 seed Memphis on Saturday.
Cal (22-11), which shot a nation-best 43 percent from 3-point range during the regular season, was 7-for-24 in this one. Theo Robertson led the Bears with 22 points and Jerome Randle had 14, but took just three shots in the second half.
